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The Lotus Sutra
Avalokiteshvara is depicted as the image of a woman with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes, the embodiment of loving-kindness in the Lotus Sutra through two main elements:
– The many arms symbolize action (Samantabhadra Bodhisattva), reaching out to share and support the suffering of all beings.
– The eyes in each hand represent awareness, deep looking (Manjushri Bodhisattva), seeing deeply into the true nature in order to act with wisdom.
From this, the Teacher emphasizes that when reciting the name of Avalokiteshvara, body, speech, and mind must be in harmony, with the power of concentration, in order to “catch” the energy of wisdom and compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Following this are the last three chapters of the Lotus Sutra:
- Chapter 26 – Dhāraṇī Gate: the spiritual doorway that allows us to receive the energy of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through mantras, sounds uttered in the state of samadhi.
- Chapter 27 – Wonderful Adornment King: the previous life of King Wonderful Adornment and his two sons, Pure Store and Pure Eyes, demonstrates that practicing the Lotus Sutra can help liberate one’s parents and family on the path of liberation.
- Chapter 28 – Samantabhadra’s Encouragement: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva gives rise to the aspiration, together with the other Bodhisattvas, to protect and ensure the stability and fulfillment of the Lotus Sutra in the present and the future.
Finally, the Lotus Sutra is honored as the “foremost spiritual flower” of the Mahayana because of its gentle language, universality, and high practicality: opening up the three dimensions of the historical, the ultimate, and the action dimensions, allowing everyone—whether learned or ordinary—to be able to recite the Buddha’s name, chant the Dharma, and practice in order to transform suffering, harvest peace and joy, and nurture compassion and understanding.